More than three million potholes will be filled in by March next year as part of the biggest investment in roads since the 1970s.

The government has set aside £168m, spread across 148 councils, to mend the nation's broken roads.

Each council will get a share, but extra money will be given to those which demonstrate best practice in highways maintenance, including bringing in specialist machinery or setting up dedicated repair teams.

Crucially, the money must be used to repair potholes or ensure that they do not appear in the first place. Councils will have to publish updates on works every three months so residents can see how repairs are progressing, and all work has to be completed by March.